Three large dogs in City Fire Restuarant
 

I do not dislike dogs. In fact I had a dog for the past 18 years that recently passed. I was in City Fire in Brownwood and three women had three very very large dogs with them. They insisted that they needed to eat inside. The waiter could not get near the table since the dogs were sitting there. These dogs had comfort tags on them but I do not believe this is the same as a service dog. While these women were waiting for a seat they had the whole entrance blocked by the dogs. I do not feel that these large dogs, who could eat off the tables standing ip, should be in a dining establishment. I am also allergic to these breeds. (I had a toy poodle). I would like some opinions on this matter as I felt if I complained I would be causing a ruckus of ADA

What kind of dogs were they? and were they threatening in any way other than their size? Worked with a REALTOR that had a large dog with her at all times for protection -she was kidnapped at a showing. So you just never know why they had these dogs.

They were three different breeds and were not vey responsive to their owners commands. I believe service trained dogs are very responsive to owners commands.

What are "comfort tags"?....and what were these dogs doing IN a resturant?

I only have this to offer. We have lived here for six years and have never experienced seeing any dog in a restaurant. I think I remember that I saw one or two outside of a restaurant.

I am just thinking it was a very unusual occurance.

Therapy dogs are not service or assistance dogs. Service dogs directly assist humans and have a legal right to accompany their owners in most areas. In the United States, service dogs are legally protected at the federal level by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Therapy dogs do not provide direct assistance and are not mentioned in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Brief Information Resource on Assistance Animals for the Disabled
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I do believe Comfort dogs are a type of therapy dog. These Comfort/therapy dogs were available when students arrived back to school, Sandy Hook Elementry.

Probably wasn't the best idea to bring three large dogs into the restaurant, but since they are therapy dogs, they probably can go in and be with their handlers.

It's pretty much impossible to visually determine if a dog is a service dog. Tags are not required nor is documentation. The establishment is even prohibited from asking the nature of the disability of the owner of the service dog. The ADA is very specific about this.

From Service and Therapy Dogs - ADA and State Rights

"It is very important to remember that Therapy Dogs do not have the same rights as handlers of Service Dogs. Handlers of Service Dogs are protected under the ADA because of the disability the handler experiences. The distinction is highly-important, and there should be no misunderstanding that it is the Person with a Disability who is the handler of the Service Dog that has rights under the ADA; not the dog. The Service Dog is allowed access based upon the rights of the person with a disability."

I don't know what a comfort tag is, but I imagine these dogs were not service dogs and therefore had no rights under ADA to be inside the restaurant. Not to mention it wasn't a very good idea to bring three large dogs inside.

Here's an explanation of a "comfort" dog.

Is a ‘Comfort Dog’ a Service Dog? | Delta Society – Animals Helping People - seattlepi.com

Funny that this post came up tonight. We just had dinner at Fiesta Grande at Colony and we sat next to a lab with a service vest. The handlers had no visible disability but that doesn't mean they did not have one. Another poster mentioned that you may NOT ask questions to the nature of a service dog and that is correct. I also know that anyone may buy a service vest for their dog. The dog at our restaurant was well behaved and unobtrusive.

The most unusual round of golf I ever had was in 2009 on a course outside Baltimore just off I-95. I went in the pro shop about 1pm as a single and was paying when a man entered with two chocolate brown Labrador Retrievers. The employee said 'no dogs allowed'. The man with the dogs said they are my service dogs and I can show you papers that will allow me to bring the dogs in here and with me on the course.

I ended being paired with this golfer. He had been in Myrtle Beach earlier on sales calls and was on his way home to Westchester, NY. The interstate was backed up, so he checked his GPS for a golf course and found The Wetlands. The dogs were trained to alert the man prior to having a seizure. They would somehow know when this was going to happen and would alert the man.

The dogs rode in the golf cart with the fellow. One on the seat and the other on the floor, they were big dogs, probably 75 pounds. They never presented any problems and the round of golf went like many others. Sometimes they would leave the cart and walk around. Once they went into the woods, he said they probably smelled an animal. Anyway, he yelled something and they ran right back to the cart. We finished the round and the man jumped into his car and went on to finish his drive to New York.


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True. Plus, you can go online and buy a service dog coat, photo i.d. and service badge without providing any proof of disability or dog training. I checked this out because we took our dog overseas and, having no car, wanted to be able to take him on the metro. I chickened out (not much of a rule breaker). We walked him everywhere instead.

I have not seen any in a restaurant until recently. We also didn't know they are allowed on a restaurant patio. We were at Crispers this past week and a couple came in with a pug and a bowl of water for him. They sat by our table with the dog and the man than lit up a cigarette and started smoking. We were almost done and since it was strong and my wife is allergic to smoke, we got up and left. The couple near them turned and moved further away with their lunch. I asked on our way out and the server said dogs are allowed on the patio and so is smoking. Guess we don't eat outside at Crispers now.

Service animals are not limited to dogs, although they are the most common such animals, by far. There are monkeys, cats, pigs and small horses, as incredible as that may sound.

I have no problem eating next to the dog but the smoker....No way!

This made me laugh because I too bought the vest and ID for my dog but never used it. I just couldn't bring myself to be comfortable with that "lie".

I've deleted my original comments placed here because they were redundant, but I retained the following link as it supports that the women and their dogs were not protected by the ADA.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Therapy Dogs & Rights : Service Dogs of Florida, Inc.

I totally understand!:ohdear:

They might have been the dog's trainers. Somebody takes the puppy for a year or so, providing basic training and experience in public, after which if they pass certain tests, they go on to a trainer for further specific training in their service area.

Service Dogs
 

I don't know about the dogs you saw in City Fire. What I do know is there is a family/couple in the area who work with "service dogs" to train them so the dogs can be placed with a person who needs them. The couple are not handicapped but it's important the dogs learn to be in all public places. I would think the first time they take the dogs out they may not be very well behaved as they wouldn't know what they are supposed to do. I have seen them with as many as three dogs at a time and different dogs over the past year. The dogs also seem to be at different levels of competency. I'm not suggesting that's who you saw, just that I have seen these people and their dogs in the area many times in the past.

These dogs always have a vest on them stating they are in training.

Two years ago hubby & I were flying out of Tampa. We spent the night before & went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.
There was a man at the bar with a small dog on his lap. I said to the waitress that I didn't know dogs were allowed inside a restaurant. She said the man comes in quite often and that is his therapy dog.

I see therapy dogs riding around in cute little strollers all the time!:evil6:

I love dogs. I totally understand and respect the laws regarding service, therapy, comfort dogs, etc....but to bring three large dogs, at the same time into a restaurant on a busy day, makes no sense to me. What purpose would this serve in the training of a therapy dog? Three dogs? Together?

Just need to know if the dogs pooped and if the owner picked it up. Also, any sharing of deserts with these 3 dogs?

Certainly possible, if the dog is elderly. Being old doesn't mean they have outlived their responsibility to help their master.

I love dogs and I like seeing service dogs helping people. But THREE big dogs, big enough for faces to be table height, is excessive in a restaurant as crowded as CityFire can be at either location.

I'm getting tired of people taking the attitude that rules should not apply to them, or rules are some relic of the past made by old sourpusses.

There are good reasons for having rules like no animals permitted (except for a service one) in a dining establishment.

Now Doug...:MOJE_whot::doggie:

It's Not That Simple
 

Any restaurant that allows dogs, other than true service dogs, in the outside seating area is required to have a local permit and also comply with the minimum requirements outlined on this link or they are in violation of Florida State Laws.

Letting dogs in outside areas requires more than just permission, including posting signs, having hand sanitizer on each table, having a cleaning kit available in the outside area, and the server must remind customers to follow certain procedures such as washing their hands before eating.

These rules are Florida State Law.

http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr...-faq-dogs.html

One item from the link above.

9. Q. What are the minimum health or food safety conditions that must be met to allow pet dogs?

A. Any local ordinances allowing dogs must include the following minimum requirements:
All food service employees must wash their hands promptly after touching, petting, or otherwise handling dogs.
Employees cannot touch, pet, or otherwise handle dogs while serving food or beverages or handling tableware or before entering other parts of the establishment.
Patrons must be advised to wash their hands before eating. The establishment must provide waterless hand sanitizer at each table.
Dogs shall not come into contact with serving dishes, utensils, tableware, linens, paper products or any other items involved in food service operations.
Dogs shall be kept on a leash at all times and under reasonable control.
Dogs shall not be allowed on chairs, tables, or other furnishings.
Table and chair surfaces and any spillage shall be cleaned and sanitized between seating of patrons.
Accidents involving dog waste shall be cleaned immediately and the area sanitized with an approved product. Establishments are required to keep a kit containing cleaning materials in the designated outdoor area.
Signage reminding employees and patrons of adopted rules must be posted as required by local ordinance.
Dogs are not permitted to travel through any indoor or non-designated outdoor portions of the establishment. Ingress and egress to the designated, permitted, area cannot require entrance into or passage through any indoor area of the establishment.
Local governments may adopt additional requirements that must be met to obtain a permit.

That was my first thought, last summer I met some Goldens that were being trained for The Guide Dog Foundation. At the time they told me there something like a dozen being fostered here in TV.

Disgusting!!!

You could make a call to the State Health Dept. and report what you saw. They'll take it from there.

Not sure why this is such an issue in the US. If you go to Europe, you will have dogs in dining establishments all the time.

Different cultures, I guess ????

True! I spent 6 years in Germany and found that the locals would leave the kids at home and take the dog with them to the restaurant. I MUCH preferred that! I'd rather have dinner next to a quiet, well behaved dog than a toddler.

Service dogs wear a type of "vest-collar" to identify them. We know a man whose training a puppy to be one and this dog wears it at all times when they're out and about. His dog is young but knows the commands very well and will lie down under his chair!

It's these types of dogs that are generally allowed in establishments and not other dogs. Not knowing the details of this occurance that the OP talks about it's hard to make an opinion otherwise.

BUT if these were folks off the street asking to have their pets accompany them into a restaurant is going over-board. It's unappetising plus not healthy to have a dog's face on the table!!

:BigApplause:

And in parts of Asia they eat them!

Some information on it

Is a ‘Comfort Dog’ a Service Dog? | Delta Society – Animals Helping People - seattlepi.com

I can understand why some need the animals with them (e.g. blind person with seeing eye dog). The dog performs a concrete function that no one can dispute.

But in subjective areas, most would find a doctor that would sign off on it (for the yearly fee of course) and it would be widely abused. The whole idea, other than the fact that we like our pets, is very subjective.

The "comfort animal" concept has a number of practical problems. If dogs, how about cats? How about a pet python? They all might bite. What is the difference other than your bias for a dog and someone else bias for a some specialty Lizard? How about birds?

I do not buy the argument of "I can't be without my comfort dog for an hour". I would say it is stated in the name: "Comfort", which does not mean "need"... more like a preference.


There also some other practical problems:

- Dogs and other animals, can bark and make noise
- They can (and do) get into fights
- They can (and do) attack people.
- They can (and do) relieve themselves whenever they choose.
- They can (and do) tend to want to roam. Even a trained dog is not going to want to sit like a statue in one place for an hour and a half.
- Probably a thousand other things too.

Sorry Fido relieved himself in the restaurant... but you were so rude to fido with that face you made, now fido is very upset.... "I'm not tipping." As they stomp out and leave fido's "Tip" on the floor.

PRICELESS :clap2:

:BigApplause::BigApplause: